The Italian Job
Macumba Indiavolata | 03.12.2002 10:16
'The Pink Carovan', a small group of dancers and drummers from London and Amsterdam, completes its tour of Five italian cities( Milano, Genova, Imperia, Rome and Turin with a pink and silver carnival bloc at the Demonstration against the Immigrants Detention Centre in Turin
'No One Is Illegal '
25 000 demonstrate in Turin against the Immigrant Detention Centre
"The disobediente section of the march was by far the biggest and livliest. For the first time in Turin, a Rio style carnival complete with samba band and dancers brought people out on to their balconies and into the streets. The Pink group got the Fiat workers dancing with their diabolic rhythms (una macumba indiavolata) and synchronised dance . The painted walls of the prison leaving a message Livia Turco (Minister of Social affairs) will not forget."
Il Manifesto 1.12.02
I was in the Italian Alps, North of Turin when I realised that Silver is related to the moon. We had just finished our 'Pink Carovan' around the social centres of the Italian Movement, with a large Pink and Silver carnival bloc at the 25 000 strong 'No One Is Illegal' demonstration in Turin.To much cheering from the balconies we weaved our way through the streets with a band of 30 drummers led by 30 dancers to Turin's immigrant detention centre. The group of artists who had invited us (a small group London and Amsterdam drummers and dancers) to give workshops in Milan, Genova, Imperia and Rome in preparation for the Demo in Turin, painted the walls of the prison with open doors.
Ya Basta have now reformed as 'Disobedienti' and have decided to leave the shields and padded suits back at the social centres for now, and so the only familiar sight on the demo came when a local die hard core of Stalinist Black Blockers, masked up and tried to stop the demo with a banner which stated the very obvious 'it's not enough to paint the walls of the prisons, we must destroy them'. The lead group of Disobedienti quickly pushed them out of the way and the march continued without any police intervention.
There were two sound systems, and although the Manu Chao gig turned out to be a rumour, by the time we reached the prison the mood was curiously festive. We flirted outrageously with the civil police along their lines of shields, and after playing for the wall painters, we flirted outrageously again. Sevral hours of Samba Reggae no.3 and a Rhumba from Argentina seemed to charm an Italian movement facing increasing repression of both activists and foreigners, and which mobilised one million people on to the streets of Florence recently against the war.
25 000 demonstrate in Turin against the Immigrant Detention Centre
"The disobediente section of the march was by far the biggest and livliest. For the first time in Turin, a Rio style carnival complete with samba band and dancers brought people out on to their balconies and into the streets. The Pink group got the Fiat workers dancing with their diabolic rhythms (una macumba indiavolata) and synchronised dance . The painted walls of the prison leaving a message Livia Turco (Minister of Social affairs) will not forget."
Il Manifesto 1.12.02
I was in the Italian Alps, North of Turin when I realised that Silver is related to the moon. We had just finished our 'Pink Carovan' around the social centres of the Italian Movement, with a large Pink and Silver carnival bloc at the 25 000 strong 'No One Is Illegal' demonstration in Turin.To much cheering from the balconies we weaved our way through the streets with a band of 30 drummers led by 30 dancers to Turin's immigrant detention centre. The group of artists who had invited us (a small group London and Amsterdam drummers and dancers) to give workshops in Milan, Genova, Imperia and Rome in preparation for the Demo in Turin, painted the walls of the prison with open doors.
Ya Basta have now reformed as 'Disobedienti' and have decided to leave the shields and padded suits back at the social centres for now, and so the only familiar sight on the demo came when a local die hard core of Stalinist Black Blockers, masked up and tried to stop the demo with a banner which stated the very obvious 'it's not enough to paint the walls of the prisons, we must destroy them'. The lead group of Disobedienti quickly pushed them out of the way and the march continued without any police intervention.
There were two sound systems, and although the Manu Chao gig turned out to be a rumour, by the time we reached the prison the mood was curiously festive. We flirted outrageously with the civil police along their lines of shields, and after playing for the wall painters, we flirted outrageously again. Sevral hours of Samba Reggae no.3 and a Rhumba from Argentina seemed to charm an Italian movement facing increasing repression of both activists and foreigners, and which mobilised one million people on to the streets of Florence recently against the war.
Macumba Indiavolata